The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-05
A CORNER IN KEROSENE.
How Vail Street Principles Wero Received In the
North ConnIry.

Corr. OF the Journal OF Commerce,
Ichabod Bailey was farmer by
habit of life, n horse trader by prac-
tice. His farm was mostly hay and
grazing land, well up on the slopes OF
the mountain, and thence he descended
on the lower country, as did the rob
Der knight OF medieval Europe TO
pray on the inhabitants OF the val.
ieys. But Ichabod had been growing
old, and long familiarity had made
the people for forty miles in all d.
rections so wary OF any dealing with
him that the profits OF his horse
business in late years had been made
only By long excursions into sections
where he was not known. Business
had grown dull. lie knew how to win
in bargain, but only in one line
horse trading. His conscience was a
kind which is considered in some cir
cles a fair average business conscience.
But his education was limited, special,
and now that trade in his line was
practically ended for him. since long
journeys were wearisome to his old
bones, he had relapsed into grouty
life in his farmhouse where almost
no one visited him.
Ichabod's oldest son had followed
the WAYS OF north country boys some
twenty years ago, and gone off to
make his fortune, and, ii fortune
be what men mostly consider
it, he has been successful. For
no was esteemed rich man in
New York, and had gathered great
deal OF money, was n respectable
member of society, and his name was
occasi onally seen in the newspapers
in connection with financial opera
tons.
He came to the farm once in a while
to see the old people and the Others
of the family who lived ut home. One
evening he was sitting by the fire, talk
ing with them. 10 Ichabod Wall
street had always been a mystery be-
yond comprehension. His son James.
like many Wall street men, always
carried the street in his head
with him, and had small interest in
my other subjects OF conversation.
He was telling his up country relatives
anecdotes of the stock market. lch.
abod had listened in silence but at
length, Mt u word which James used,
spoke out: "James, what doyou mean
by n corner'?" Whereupon James eX-
planned, and as the old man had n
keen mind he readily grasped the idea.
81 don't see why you can't make n
corner IN anything Just as well ms in
any kind of stock.
"Of course you can. There are cor
ners made in provisions, and all sorts
of things in the market."
"Yes," said Ichabod, call you've
rot to do is To get n man to agree to
sell you something or forfeit money,
and then fix it so he can't possibly get
the stuff to deliver. and he'll have to
pay you the money. Yes, yes. You
buy up all there rs OF the stun and
then you get your man to agree to
sell you n lot, and when he finds out
that you have got all there is and ne
can't get any, then you bleed him.
You see James, there's some people
that thinks il you sell'em u horse Tor
5000 that you know isn't worth $50,
you kind o. do them out of their mon.
ey. But n corners not that sort OF
thing"
"Not at ALL" said James.
"But is il honest, lchabod?" asked
his wife, Aunt Lyddy, as she was call.
ed. Aunt Lvddy had been all her lie
time puzzled TO reconcile her hus..
band dongs with her own sense OF
right and wrong. But her simple
brain was never very clear about any.
thing.
Honest. mother? OF course it's
honest; it's business"
ayes, yes, Lyddy, it's business; you
don't know nothing about business.
I've .old you so more times than
you're weeks old"
Down i'm the valley, two miles from
the farm, was the struggling village,
with it's one store, kept by Pele1 How.
land, almost as old man as lchabod
Bailey, but one OF wholly different
mold and mind. Peleg had lived n
life of unblemished honor. He had
made a fortune i'm his little country
store: to wit, almost $4,000; and
that was great riches FOR the neiehbor-
hood. Withal it was happy wealth
for Peleg, since no dollar OF 1t had
come weighted with regret or curse,
those weights which make some mems
fortunes diabolic in character, and
give or ought to awful unhappiness TO
some hours OF meditation or OF look